BSJ Game Report: Patriots 24, Bills 12 - Running game helps clinch another division title against offensively inept Bills

Everything you need to know — turning point, second guess, three up/down, takeaways— from the Patriots’ win over the Bills in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:

Gamebook

HEADLINES

Patriots win division, have a bye in hands again: With the Patriots getting by an atrocious Bills team (mostly their offense), coupled with the Texans’ loss at Philadelphia, New England only has to beat the Jets at home in the season finale to earn a first-round bye for the 10th straight year. If the Patriots take care of business, they’re one upset of the Chiefs away from hosting the AFC Championship Game … again.

Offensive line, running game carry offense: A week after they were, let’s be honest, embarrassed between poor blocking and penalties, the Patriots’ offensive line redeemed itself with a splendid afternoon with 275 rushing yards and just one penalty on a lineman (Marcus Cannon). Going to guess Dante Scarnecchia was none too pleased with the Pittsburgh performance and rode his guys all week long in practice and meetings. Whatever happened, it worked.

The passing game was atrocious: Yes, the Bills have a good passing defense. But that's no excuse for Tom Brady and the Patriots to basically match Josh Allen and the Bills with incapable passing attacks. And yet, that's what happened. Brady finished 12-for-24 for 126 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions (48.3 rating). Allen was 20 of 41 for 217 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions (52.6 rating). This has gone from mild concern to big-time worry entering the final week of the season.

TURNING POINT

The score was still just 14-6 in favor of the Patriots with 5:14 left in the third quarter when the Patriots decided to go for it on fourth-and-4 from the Buffalo 32. If New England turned the ball over there, it's still very much a game. The sequence was a beauty of a play design — copied straight from the college game — by Josh McDaniels as he pulled the guard, faked the run, and included a fake bubble screen to boot. All that freed up Edelman in single coverage with the middle of the field vacated. From there, it was all No. 11.

https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1076932802963169280

SECOND GUESS

Patriots had a chance to finish off the game with a little confidence when they faced third-and-goal from the Buffalo 2-yard line left with 8:26 left and a 21-6 lead. Instead of sending Brady out on a high note (he would come out the next series), the Patriots didn't throw once on the drive after Brady finished with two-straight incompletions to end the previous drive. On the third-down play, McDaniels called a toss to James White, which had no chance, and went for minus-3 yards. How about a toss to Gronkowski to get some good mojo going with the pass?

THREE UP

Offensive line: Give it up for the big boys. OK, so it wasn't perfect in pass protection ... but they opened up some gaping holes for everyone who touched the ball (5.8 yards per carry) and that was more than enough to carry the day.

Sony Michel: Considering everyone ran the ball well, this was another game where it was largely the blocking up front. But Michel did have a couple nice runs getting through tackles, and his speed also made a difference.

Jason McCourty/J.C. Jackson: The two cornerbacks combined for two interceptions and one huge forced fumble by McCourty, as Bills tight end Jason Croom tried to bully for a first down to the New England 6 in a 21-6 game late in the third quarter but was held up and lost the football.

THREE DOWN

Tom Brady: The two interceptions were at least partially the fault of Rex Burkhead and Rob Gronkowski, and there was some pressure on Brady in this game, but that's still no excuse for Brady playing one of his worst games in recent memory. His passer rating of 48.3 was the sixth-lowest for Brady in a start and his worst since he posted a 34.0 in a 27-20 loss to the Colts in 2006. Brady showed even more aversion to pressure in this game, and that's becoming a big concern.

Rex Burkhead: Combined for 79 yards on 17 touches, but he had a miscommunication with Brady on an interception and fumbled in the first quarter.

Rob Gronkowski: Had zero catches on three targets and his drop ended up as an interception. There was some nice blocking in this game, but this was just the fourth game in his career where Gronkowski didn't have a catch, and first of this season.

INJURIES

Cordarrelle Patterson (knee): Did not return to the game after leaving in the third quarter.  

Dwayne Allen (knee): Just returned from an injury and got dinged again late in this one.

TOP PLAYS

Nice blocking by Trent Brown and Shaq Mason, but then White does the rest.

https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1076916727617712128

Can't teach speed

https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1076920143253430272

Blocked punt

https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1076941035509411840

TWO TAKES BEDARD WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

The Patriots have to find a way to get this passing game going: Running the ball like that against that defense is nothing to sniff at and, by this point, we know these Patriots are going to need to have a heavy input from the run to function. But the Patriots aren't going anywhere if they can't be more efficient with the pass. Everything is such a chore right now when they drop Brady back to pass. Thought they'd have a little bit of a better plan in the wake of the Josh Gordon departure featuring Philip Dorsett and Chris Hogan but, amazingly, neither one of those guys were targeted even once in this game.

Amazing run of success continues for the Patriots: Yes, they've been helped out by the division -- some people don't like to hear it, but it's the truth. But I don't care who your rivals are, winning the AFC East and being in line for a first-round bye for a 10th consecutive season is just an amazing accomplishment. It's a good night for the Kraft family, Bill Belichick, the coaches and Brady to take a bow ... and then get back to work trying to make this offense work in the postseason first thing tomorrow.